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Coral Springs History

The City of Coral Springs is 24 square miles nestled in the north-west corner of Broward County. Coral Springs is known for its family atmosphere, thriving businesses, advanced recreational facilities, and top-rated schools. As one of the fastest growing cities, and now considered fully "built-out", it is hard to believe the very same land was merely a green bean farm and cattle field just over 57 years ago.

Coral Springs has been unique from its inception as it is one of the first truly planned cities in Florida. Just 55 years ago successful Fort Lauderdale builders, James S. Hunt and Joe Taravella of Coral Ridge Properties, had the vision to create a planned city from the ground up. Purchasing the first parcel of land from the Lions family, 3,860 acres that were once a green bean farm and cattle field. The Coral Springs pioneers wanted homes on ample lots and public buildings in a brick colonial style. They called for strict city code to maintain aesthetics. Hunt was a showman. To draw interest in the land that was sometimes considered "too far out", they constructed a covered bridge and recruited talk show host Johnny Carson for a land sale BBQ. The event was a huge success, and later Carson himself purchased an investment plot of his own. Westinghouse purchased Coral Ridge Properties in 1966. They brought modern style and innovation to Coral Springs, with top-of-the-line appliances and features that were cutting edge. Though Hunt died in 1972 and Taravella in 1978, their vision lives on with continued innovative leadership and a community dedicated to progress. The succeeding leadership that has followed has been key to achieving those efforts.

Museum of History

Step 1.Building Used As Real Estate Office

Originally built by Coral Ridge Properties in 1964 as a 30´x 20´ real estate sales office, it sat at the northwest intersection of Wiles Road and SR441. The location was not even in Coral Springs at the time, but Wiles was the only access into the City, which did not have a paved road, and only a Covered Bridge as architecture. Coral Ridge employees would market property using the City’s Master Plan, neighborhood plats and house models from builders´ brochures. By 1966, Coral Ridge had constructed a large administration building (now City Hall) and asked if the City of Coral Springs wanted the “old building”.

Museum of History

Step 2.Coral Springs Police Station In 1968

The City moved it to 6500 Woodside Drive to use as its first administration building and in 1968, the first police station. When it was no longer big enough for their needs in 1972, the police moved out and the Jaycees used it as a clubhouse. The structure had been on borrowed land (and time) and had to be moved again to make way for construction in 1976.

Coral Springs Police Station in 1968

Step 3.Burnt Out Museum

Landmark Restoration committee members from left to right: Vice Mayor Carl Zeytoonian, Brian Hansen, John Cassidy, Sandy Cugno, unidentified, John Trout, John Lynch, Jack Lotsey, Bill Sayers and Chuck Connor.

Next stop was the City dump at 12700 NW 39th Street. While using it for smoke rescue drills, the volunteer fire department accidentally set it on fire. People took notice that the little building seemed indestructible, as it survived even this assault. The Landmark Restoration Committee formed to raise funds to restore the structure. On October 20, 1977, the building was moved yet again but this time with an accompanying parade as a flatbed truck towed it to its permanent home in Mullins Park. By March 4, 1978, it was fully restored and opened as the Mini Museum.

Step 4.

Step 5.Mini Museum with Mayor Edward Heafy

As the Bicentennial surge of interest in local history waned, people forgot about the Mini Museum and it closed within a couple of years. It sat empty for over twenty years, used occasionally as a meeting room. In 2000, (another year of resurgent interest in local history) the City formed the Historical Advisory Committee, which identified the building as a landmark that should be restored to its prior status as a museum. Years of neglect had left the building in need of total restoration.

Step 6.

Step 7.New Museum Is a Renovation of the Original

It has now been renovated and is designated a Florida Heritage Site. The museum presents the master plans, subdivision plats and maps showing the how the City grew from a population of five to over 123,600 in 50 years. There are model buildings and historic items of interest on display.

New Museum

The Museum is open by appointment. Please call 954-344-5970 for details.

Covered Bridge

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Elected Officials

1963 HARRY W. WILSON Mayor GEORGE W. HAMMERER Vice Mayor KENNETH W. PEZOLDT Commissioner THOMAS J. ALEXANDER Commissioner HARVEY W. OLSEN Commissioner	1965 HARRY W. WILSON Mayor ROBERT J. FULLER Vice Mayor HARVEY W. OLSEN Commissioner / Vice Mayor KENNETH W. PEZOLDT Commissioner THOMAS J. ALEXANDER Commissioner DALE HIATT Commissioner E. O. KNIGHT Commissioner	1968/1969 LEWIE M. MULLINS Mayor - DIED 10/18/69 ROBERT J. FULLER Vice Mayor WILFRED NEALE JR. Commissioner PETER GIORDANO Commissioner RICHARD J. HUNT Commissioner RAYMOND LOPEZ Commissioner / Mayor	1970 GEORGE MACGREGOR Mayor WILFRED NEALE JR. Vice Mayor RICHARD J. HUNT Commissioner JAMES E EDWARDS Commissioner EDWARD L. HEAFY Commissioner
1972 JAMES E. EDWARDS Mayor EDWARD L. HEAFY Vice Mayor WILFRED NEALE JR. Commissioner GEORGE MACGREGOR Commissioner WALTER R. BLAKE Commissioner	1974 O.B. GEIGER Mayor JOHN R. NORDLUND Vice Mayor JAMES E EDWARDS Commissioner WALTER R. BLAKE Commissioner EDWARD L. HEAFY Commissioner	1976/1977 WALTER R. BLAKE Mayor CARL ZEYTOONIAN Vice Mayor EDWARD L. HEAFY Commissioner / Mayor JOHN R. NORDLUND Commissioner O.B. GEIGER Commissioner	1978 EDWARD L. HEAFY WALTER R. BLAKE Mayor O.B. GEIGER Vice Mayor CARL ZEYTOONIAN Commissioner HELEN G. TACHE Commissioner WALTER R. BLAKE Commissioner
1979 O.B. GEIGER Mayor EDWARD L HEAFY Vice Mayor CARL ZEYTOONIAN Commissioner HELEN G. TACHE Commissioner WALTER R. BLAKE Commissioner	1980 O.B. GEIGER Mayor HELEN G. TACHE Vice Mayor CARL ZEYTOONIAN Commissioner EDWARD L. HEAFY Commissioner DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner	1981 EDWARD L. HEAFY Mayor HELEN G. TACHE Vice Mayor O.B. GEIGER Commissioner CARL ZEYTOONIAN Commissioner DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner	1982 O.B. GEIGER Mayor EDWARD L HEAFY Vice Mayor CARL ZEYTOONIAN Commissioner TIMOTHY D. CROSS Commissioner
1983 O.B. GEIGER Mayor EDWARD L HEAFY Vice Mayor JAMES K. GORDON Commissioner HELEN G. TACHE Commissioner DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner	1984 O.B. GEIGER Mayor DONALD H. SANDERS Vice Mayor HELEN G. TACHE Commissioner EDWARD L. HEAFY Commissioner JAMES K. GORDON Commissioner	1986 O.B. GEIGER Mayor EDWARD L HEAFY Vice Mayor HELEN G. TACHE Commissioner DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner JAMES K. GORDON Commissioner	1987 O.B. GEIGER Mayor EDWARD L HEAFY Vice Mayor JAMES K. GORDON Commissioner HELEN G. TACHE Commissioner DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner
1988 O.B. GEIGER Mayor JAMES K. GORDON Vice Mayor DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner / Vice Mayor JEANNE M. MILLS Commissioner JANET E. OPPENHEIMER Commissioner	1990/1991 JEANNE M. MILLS Mayor WILLIAM D. STRADLING Vice Mayor DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner JAMES K. GORDON Commissioner JANET E. OPPENHEIMER Commissioner ALAN J. POLIN Commissioner	1993 JEANNE M. MILLS Mayor MAUREEN BERK Vice Mayor ALAN J. POLIN Commissioner DONALD H. SANDERS Commissioner WILLIAM D. STRADLING Commissioner	1994 JOHN SOMMERER Mayor ALAN J. POLIN Vice Mayor MAUREEN BERK Commissioner WILLIAM D. STRADLING Commissioner RHONDA A. CALHOUN Commissioner
1996 JOHN SOMMERER Mayor RHONDA A. CALHOUN Vice Mayor ALAN J. POLIN Commissioner MAUREEN BERK Commissioner WILLIAM D. STRADLING Commissioner	1998 JOHN SOMMERER Mayor WILLIAM D. STRADLING Vice Mayor MAUREEN BERK Commissioner ALAN J. POLIN Commissioner RHONDA A. CALHOUN Commissioner	2000 JOHN SOMMERER Mayor MAUREEN BERK Vice Mayor RHONDA A. CALHOUN Commissioner ALAN J. POLIN Commissioner WILLIAM D. STRADLING Commissioner	2002 JOHN SOMMERER Mayor MAUREEN BERK Vice Mayor ALAN J. POLIN Commissioner RHONDA A. CALHOUN Commissioner SCOTT J. BROOK Commissioner
2004 RHON ERNEST-JONES Mayor RHONDA A. CALHOUN Vice Mayor SCOTT J. BROOK Commissioner ROY GOLD Commissioner TED MENA Commissioner	2006 SCOTT J. BROOK Mayor ROY GOLD Vice Mayor VINCENT BOCCARD Commissioner CLAUDETTE BRUCK Commissioner TED MENA Commissioner	2008 SCOTT J. BROOK Mayor VINCENT BOCCARD Vice Mayor CLAUDETTE BRUCK Commissioner TOM POWERS Commissioner ROY GOLD Commissioner	2010 ROY GOLD Mayor CLAUDETTE BRUCK Vice Mayor - 11/09 to 11/11 TOM POWERS Commissioner / Vice Mayor -11/11 to 11/12 VINCENT BOCCARD Commissioner LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner
2012 VINCENT BOCCARD Mayor TOM POWERS Vice Mayor LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner CLAUDETTE BRUCK Commissioner DAN DALEY Commissioner	2013 VINCENT BOCCARD Mayor LARRY VIGNOLA Vice Mayor CLAUDETTE BRUCK Commissioner DAN DALEY Commissioner TOM POWERS Commissioner	2014 WALTER "SKIP" CAMPBELL Mayor LARRY VIGNOLA Vice Mayor DAN DALEY Commissioner LOU CIMAGLIA Commissioner JOY CARTER Commissioner	2015 WALTER "SKIP" CAMPBELL Mayor DAN DALEY Vice Mayor JOY CARTER Commissioner LOU CIMAGLIA Commissioner LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner
2016 WALTER "SKIP" CAMPBELL Mayor DAN DALEY Vice Mayor JOY CARTER Commissioner LOU CIMAGLIA Commissioner LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner	2017 WALTER "SKIP" CAMPBELL Mayor LOU CIMAGLIA Vice Mayor JOY CARTER Commissioner DAN DALEY Commissioner LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner	2018 WALTER "SKIP" CAMPBELL Mayor - Died 10/23/18 LOU CIMAGLIA Vice Mayor/ Mayor Pro Tempore - 10/24/2018 JOY CARTER Vice Mayor / Mayor Pro Tempore 11/28/2018 - 03/12/19 DAN DALEY Commissioner LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner JOSHUA SIMMONS Commissioner	2019 SCOTT J. BROOK Mayor JOY CARTER Vice Mayor / Mayor Pro Tempore 11/28/2018 - 03/12/19 DAN DALEY Commissioner LARRY VIGNOLA Commissioner JOSHUA SIMMONS Commissioner

Contact Us

Phone

(954) 344-5970

Location

Museum of History

10000 NW 29th Street

Coral Springs

33065

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Historical Advisory Committee

Meet the committee

Online Archive

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Founders

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Coral Springs History

Museum of History

Step 1.Building Used As Real Estate Office

Step 2.Coral Springs Police Station In 1968

Step 3.Burnt Out Museum

Step 4.

Step 5.Mini Museum with Mayor Edward Heafy

Step 6.

Step 7.New Museum Is a Renovation of the Original

Covered Bridge

Elected Officials

1963

1965

1968/1969

1970

1972

1974

1976/1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1986

1987

1988

1990/1991

1993

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Contact Us

Phone

Location

Historical Advisory Committee

Online Archive

Founders

City Hall

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